5… 4… 3… 2… 1…ready or not, here we come! Playing hide and seek is one of the great joys of childhood. For animals in the wild, though, playing hide and seek is more than a game. For many, it's a matter of life and death!

If you've ever learned about a food chain in nature, you know that some animals eat others. The animals that hunt others are called predators. The animals they hunt are called prey.

Of course, as seasons change, some animals find that their winter coloring no longer helps conceal them in warmer weather.

As a result, some animals change coloration throughout the year to keep up with changing seasons. Environmental cues, such as the temperature or the amount of daylight, may trigger these changes. One example is the arctic fox, which is stark white in the winter and a grayish-brown in the summer.

Other animals have unique markings, such as spots, stripes, and patterns, that you might think would make them stand out too much. These special markings — called disruptivecoloration — can actually help break up their outline, so that they don't stand out.

For example, a zebra's stripes help it blend in. Although we can clearly see zebras, colorblind lions often see their stripes as blending in with tall grasses.

Some really clever animals blend in with their surroundings by looking like a common object. We call this method disguise.

For example, the walking stick is an insect that looks so much like a branch that it can be nearly impossible to spot in the wild!

The last method of camouflage animals might use is called mimicry. Animals that use mimicry help keep themselves safe by looking like another dangerous, poisonous, or bad-tasting animals.

For example, the Viceroy butterfly mimics the look of the poisonous Monarch butterfly to avoid predators.

No discussion of camouflage would be complete without mentioning that ultimate color-changer, the chameleon. Chameleons are widely known for their ability to change their skin color.

However, what many people may not realize is that chameleons tend to change their skin color when their mood changes, not to camouflage themselves in new or different surroundings!

Do you think you could camouflage yourself in the wild if you needed to? What if you were a spy? How might you camouflage yourself if you were in the woods? What about in the city? What color would you wear to hide in the snow? What kinds of outfits do military personnel wear as camouflage in the desert? Think of ways you might disguise yourself. If you have the clothes or other items you might use to disguise yourself, give it a try.

Write a story from the perspective of a zebra. Do you like your stripes? Do you think they help you stand out? Or do they protect you by helping you blend in? Use your imagination and have fun coming up with a creative story to tell. Share your story with a friend or family member.

sage

Wonderopolis

May 4, 2017

HI Kenzie! Camouflage is tough for hide and seek because usually it only blends in with a very specific background. Maybe you just need to look for sneakier hiding places? Good luck, Kenzie! Glad to have you as a Wonder Friend!

Wonderopolis

Chandler

Wonderopolis

Nov 3, 2015

Hi, Chandler! We're sorry you didn't like this passage. That's okay. There are many other Wonders to choose from that you may think are more fun. Just click "Explore Wonders" at the top. Happy WONDERing! :)

Wonderopolis

Isabella

Sep 4, 2014

I learned that animals use camouflage to hide from predators I also learned that there are 4 basic ways that an animal hides itself, I also learned that lions are colorblind and can't see Zebras, although I think the lion can kind of sense its movement and body heat, although I don't know that for sure, its a hypothesis. Thanks for the fascinating facts! :)

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jose gonzalez

Nov 1, 2013

I learned that they hide like that from predators. I would like to know more about how they where born or how they have the ability to do that. I thought it was interesting how they hid like that. All those animals have cool abilities.

Wonderopolis

Anyaih

Eva Cherba

Nov 1, 2013

I learned that animals do play hide and seek, but not as a game as it's life or death for animals. I would like to know more about that which animals take it more seriously than others. I thought it was interesting that there are many ways and places to blend in. This thing is very interesting because I didn't know that animals play hide and seek.

Wonderopolis

Nov 1, 2013

Thanks for WONDERing with us Eva! It is definitely more than a game to many animals! Our WONDER friends at National Geographic have lots of information on all of these animals! http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/?ar_a=1 :)

lily ness

Nov 1, 2013

I've learned that some animals use mimicry to stay hidden. I would like to know more about how their game of hide and seek works and how they defend themselves when they are found. I thought it was interesting how butterflies use this ability! I wish I was able to hide and to change colors just like Chameleons!

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Lauren J.

Nov 1, 2013

I learned that animals use camouflage to save themselves from predators and that animals can change colors seasonally. I would like to know more about how they can change and how much it helps them to be camouflaged. I thought it was interesting that many animals have the advantage to change colors.I thought it was cool that animals change colors to hide and would like to know more about it.

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Esteban

Nov 1, 2013

I learned that animals have a reason to play hide and seek. I would like to know more about how animals play hide and seek.
I thought it was interesting that animals have their skin color for a reason. I wish that I could have camouflage to play hide and seek.

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Emily

Nov 1, 2013

I enjoyed this video! I learned that there are a lot more animals and creatures that can be camouflaged and hide from others! It was interesting to see some animals and insects that I never knew that could be camouflaged. I would like to know more about the climates for these creatures!

Wonderopolis

Nov 1, 2013

Hi Emily! We are so glad that you liked the video! That is a WONDERful question, and there are so many WONDERS where you can continue to wonder about creatures! here-http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/where-do-bugs-sleep/ :)

keira

Wonderopolis

Brodie, Clarence Emma Jacob

Jun 21, 2013

I never knew there were 4 kinds of blending in methods that animals use. I thought the video was cool how the animals were blended into their environment.
I never knew that some the animals blended into the season to match their environment. We learned a lot from this video and text.
Resurrection Grade 3/4

Wonderopolis

Jun 21, 2013

Thank you so much for WONDERing with us today, Brodie, Clarence, Emma and Jacob! It sounds like you learned all about how animals can hide in plain sight! We Wonder what it would be like to blend into our environment the way that animals do! Thank you for sharing your comment with us today, Wonder Friends! We are thrilled you're here on this fantastic Friday!
See you soon! :)

LadyLover9

Wonderopolis

Team McNeil #21

Apr 1, 2012

Hi Wonderopolis!
I loved this article about camouflage. I couldn't even find some of the animals in the video! I learned that one kind of camouflage is called "disruptive coloration". This is when animals break their own outline by having spots, stripes, or patterns. I also learned that another kind of camouflage is called "mimicry". This is when an animal or insect makes itself look like a dangerous, poisonous, or bad-tasting animal or insect. One wonder I have is "Why are lions color blind?"

Wonderopolis

Apr 1, 2012

That's some really AWESOME WONDERing, Team McNeil #21...way to go! We're glad you had fun learning about animal camouflage by exploring this Wonder of the Day®! We like your WONDER, too! Have you visited Wonder #533 yet? It's all about color blindness in animals! Here is a link that will take you right to it: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-can-we-know-if-an-animal-is-color-blind/. :-)

Clayton

Wonderopolis

Sep 13, 2011

That spider WAS huge, Clayton! It had REALLY long legs, too! We're pretty sure that it was actual size. Our favorite animal camouflage from the video was the walking stick bug. We had to look super close to see where the plant ended and the bug began! Thanks so much for visiting this Wonder of the Day® and for leaving us an awesome comment! :-)

The Beach (Mrs. Guerin's 2nd G...

Wonderopolis

Sep 12, 2011

Hello, The Beach (Mrs. Guerin’s 2nd Grade Class)! We thought the video was amazing, too! We admit, it was difficult to quickly pick out some of those creatures from their surroundings! They are REALLY good at hide and seek! :-)

Muggle

Wonderopolis

Sep 11, 2011

Hi, Muggle! Although it is very sad to think of the tragic events that took place on 9/11, we'll always remember the thousands of incredible HEROES who showed such great courage on that day and in the days, weeks, months and years following! Thank you for commenting today, and for being such a GREAT Wonder Friend! :-)